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Given it is an election year, it is not surprising that we're getting a few more documentaries about politics at this year's Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

I think Mr. Cao Goes to Washington is one of the better ones. Given that Gao initially studied to be a Jesuit priest before becoming the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress (and the only Republican to vote in favor of the Congressional version of the health care reform bill), I suspect his story would be of interest to this board's frequenters.

“The Tea Party does not represent this district, I do.”

So says Joseph Cao to a potential voter who is concerned about the direction of the Republican party and uncertain about whether or not he could support a Republican candidate–even one who defied his party to be the only Republican Congressman to initially vote for President Obama’s healthcare reform. (Cao later reversed his vote after the Senate version of the bill included funding for abortion services.)

It is an exchange that lies at the heart of what makes S. Leo Chiang’s documentary both heartening and disheartening, both encouraging and maddening...